Eliza Wierwight
"I feel really strongly about this because I love Elephants and I want to be able to make a difference" - Juliette West
Every year in so many ways Second Life citizens as Community share so many wonderful opportunities to support brilliant Charitable Organisations out there making significant positive impacts in people's lives. I've had the privilege more times than I can recount via my Avatar Eliza Wierwight and my business PATRON to support so many over the years.
Now I digress momentarily, an -almost- elephants tale. By Eliza.
Recently, my son and I debated watching a movie together. Due to the hours I spend working in front of a screen about the last thing I really want to do for recreation is sit in front of another one, though to be fair I love what I do and there are recreational aspects about working in Second Life, still just so many hours in a day though yes.
As we've just relocated far across Australia and my son is missing his usual social circle I agreed to watch something with him (puhlease not Home Alone one more time) providing we could both find something we'd equally enjoy. He was more than content with the prospect, so we cruised something to download and settled on "How I Became an Elephant". He really likes Elephants, I like documentaries, win/win.
What I was unaware of when I sat next to my son that day was that I was about to get a sincere education dispelling all the romantic myths I had in my head about experiences with Elephants over my lifetime. I discovered a group of incredible people and the plight of abused elephants that so got under my skin I was unable to chalk it up to merely 'interesting and informative' then move on with my life. If you've seen this documentary already then perhaps what I'm sharing has already resonated to you. If you haven't may I please recommend it.
How I Became an Elephant Documentary Introduction
[Huge respect to Juliette West - I never initiated something so profound at her tender age, incredible young woman. and Rattle the Cage Productions]
A few days straggled past, life is always busy but I just couldn't get these Elephants out of my head. Having coffee at day break, waiting for the caffeine to shake hands with my brain cells, reading emails and I find myself in Google looking for a more direct source information regarding the Elephant Sanctuary I'd viewed earlier in the week.
I settled on "Save the Elephant Organisation/Foundation" having cross referenced facts I had retained. My son wakes up, blunders out to our family room still half asleep, an incredible sunrise has developed into an exquisite day, I'm still cruising the SEF website store. So I greet my son and ask him "hey darling, good morning, want to buy lunch for some elephants today ?" He smiles (probably thinks here she goes again, he likes my eccentricities though bless him), a little Paypal interaction on both our behalf's and it was a done deal. We had a brilliant day after that, it felt so grass roots proactive, I felt good. I usually feel good, this was a different kind of good, this was satisfying. I didn't part with a kings ransom to do this and after all it's just a a single meal for each of the two elephants we committed to, but as I said, it felt good, it felt honest, it felt practical.
I am not going to wax lyrical about the people involved in this Organisation, they already have my hugest respect. While I sit fairly comfortable in my new home they are out there putting everything on the line to save and rehabilitate these incredible creatures. If you do nothing else after reading this then I implore you to at least take the 5 mins and 22 seconds to acquaint yourself with Sangduen "Lek" Chailert. This woman and her work is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Lek the Elephant Lady - Biography for presentation to US Congress
To continue, I came across a significant life challenge recently (don’t we all), one of those kinds where you have to decide whether to engage in a toxic situation and feed into the insanity or have the wisdom to gracefully as possible move forward. I decided on the wise approach but it left me with this intense emotive energy that genuinely required direction. Why not direct the adrenaline of something negative which I had at best the only control over to remove myself from and turn it into a genuine positive, then the Elephant’s plight returned to me……
Sat back, mused a few ideas then emailed Save The Elephant Organisation with the proposal that I would like to engage the Second Life Community via my Business to sponsor all 35 Elephants at the Elephant Nature Park (and perhaps Surin as well down the line). now I've never directly wrangled a new Charitable Organisation from the ground up in Second LIfe & it took a few weeks of emails going back and forth explaining my passion & respect for their endeavours, my goals and the real stretch which is having people feel comfortable that this would all take place in the context of the 'gaming Industry'. Okay Second Life is special, we already know this, it's not atypical 'gaming' but there has to be a tangible point of reference in these matters. It was also important to me that they understood that my actions on their behalf would combine two main factors, that I'd be a good Ambassador for their work as well as provide an accountable and completely transparent progression of funds raised.
Still with me ? Officially as of today, and with much pride, I have an official contract to act on behalf of SEF in Second Life and I couldn't feel more privileged to have earned their trust in this matter. In the next 24 hours I'll be releasing at PATRON the cutest Holiday Festive Topiary in the form of a baby Elephant (the design was pre-approved by SEF). When YOU buy it 100% proceeds will be going to "SaveElephantFoundation Resident" (driven by me for now) and as each Elephant is sponsored in totality I'll be making announcements via my Group and Subscribers.
If there is any question to whether I put my money where my mouth is, my son and I are sponsoring outright the first of the 35 her name is Mae Bua Loy.
b. ~1965) Her name means 'Floating Lotus' and she was rescued from the Surin province in 2008. Mae Bua Loy’s first job was in illegal logging. Her back right leg was broken during this time, and since she was unable to do heavy labor, she was used for street-begging. Sadly, she was used in a ‘breeding program’, and at one point was kept chained continuously for 3 months and forcibly mounted 29 times. She didn’t become pregnant, so her owner decided to get rid of her. At the park, she's found a best friend in Mae Boon Ma.
Okay so that just leaves 34.......
[Edited to add] The fundraising creation has now been released on the PATRON SIM. I'll use Flickr and any other opportunity to get the word out on the Grid. I'd appreciate you favourite this image, talk to your friends, get the word out there. Gift these Elephants when they are released, anything to assist in making this goal. If you're a blogger then please blog it,if we as a Community can pull together and get this viral in Second Life we can make an immediate and positive difference. Take a little pressure off those in the front lines caring for these magnificent creatures.
AND if you're like me and can't wait, then log in search "SaveElephantFoundation Resident" and just donate outright. No amount is too small, no amount is too large as a Community I have complete faith that we can do this. No need to even visit my SIM if you would just prefer to donate outright.
ขอบคุณ
Eliza
"Save Elephant Foundation is a Thai non–profit organization dedicated to providing care and assistance to Thailand’s captive elephant population through a multifaceted approach involving local community outreach, rescue and rehabilitation programs, and educational ecotourism operations."
PS. It's late, I'm tired, it's be a very long day. I ranted a bit because it's important to me for people to understand how this came about. I'm very bad at proof reading my own txt as Kamalin Bailey-Whitefalcon and Nigel Riel will attest to. You have the gist, I'll deal with revising this eventually. Sleepy time ......
"I feel really strongly about this because I love Elephants and I want to be able to make a difference" - Juliette West
Every year in so many ways Second Life citizens as Community share so many wonderful opportunities to support brilliant Charitable Organisations out there making significant positive impacts in people's lives. I've had the privilege more times than I can recount via my Avatar Eliza Wierwight and my business PATRON to support so many over the years.
Now I digress momentarily, an -almost- elephants tale. By Eliza.
Recently, my son and I debated watching a movie together. Due to the hours I spend working in front of a screen about the last thing I really want to do for recreation is sit in front of another one, though to be fair I love what I do and there are recreational aspects about working in Second Life, still just so many hours in a day though yes.
As we've just relocated far across Australia and my son is missing his usual social circle I agreed to watch something with him (puhlease not Home Alone one more time) providing we could both find something we'd equally enjoy. He was more than content with the prospect, so we cruised something to download and settled on "How I Became an Elephant". He really likes Elephants, I like documentaries, win/win.
What I was unaware of when I sat next to my son that day was that I was about to get a sincere education dispelling all the romantic myths I had in my head about experiences with Elephants over my lifetime. I discovered a group of incredible people and the plight of abused elephants that so got under my skin I was unable to chalk it up to merely 'interesting and informative' then move on with my life. If you've seen this documentary already then perhaps what I'm sharing has already resonated to you. If you haven't may I please recommend it.
How I Became an Elephant Documentary Introduction
[Huge respect to Juliette West - I never initiated something so profound at her tender age, incredible young woman. and Rattle the Cage Productions]
A few days straggled past, life is always busy but I just couldn't get these Elephants out of my head. Having coffee at day break, waiting for the caffeine to shake hands with my brain cells, reading emails and I find myself in Google looking for a more direct source information regarding the Elephant Sanctuary I'd viewed earlier in the week.
I settled on "Save the Elephant Organisation/Foundation" having cross referenced facts I had retained. My son wakes up, blunders out to our family room still half asleep, an incredible sunrise has developed into an exquisite day, I'm still cruising the SEF website store. So I greet my son and ask him "hey darling, good morning, want to buy lunch for some elephants today ?" He smiles (probably thinks here she goes again, he likes my eccentricities though bless him), a little Paypal interaction on both our behalf's and it was a done deal. We had a brilliant day after that, it felt so grass roots proactive, I felt good. I usually feel good, this was a different kind of good, this was satisfying. I didn't part with a kings ransom to do this and after all it's just a a single meal for each of the two elephants we committed to, but as I said, it felt good, it felt honest, it felt practical.
I am not going to wax lyrical about the people involved in this Organisation, they already have my hugest respect. While I sit fairly comfortable in my new home they are out there putting everything on the line to save and rehabilitate these incredible creatures. If you do nothing else after reading this then I implore you to at least take the 5 mins and 22 seconds to acquaint yourself with Sangduen "Lek" Chailert. This woman and her work is nothing short of a masterpiece.
Lek the Elephant Lady - Biography for presentation to US Congress
To continue, I came across a significant life challenge recently (don’t we all), one of those kinds where you have to decide whether to engage in a toxic situation and feed into the insanity or have the wisdom to gracefully as possible move forward. I decided on the wise approach but it left me with this intense emotive energy that genuinely required direction. Why not direct the adrenaline of something negative which I had at best the only control over to remove myself from and turn it into a genuine positive, then the Elephant’s plight returned to me……
Sat back, mused a few ideas then emailed Save The Elephant Organisation with the proposal that I would like to engage the Second Life Community via my Business to sponsor all 35 Elephants at the Elephant Nature Park (and perhaps Surin as well down the line). now I've never directly wrangled a new Charitable Organisation from the ground up in Second LIfe & it took a few weeks of emails going back and forth explaining my passion & respect for their endeavours, my goals and the real stretch which is having people feel comfortable that this would all take place in the context of the 'gaming Industry'. Okay Second Life is special, we already know this, it's not atypical 'gaming' but there has to be a tangible point of reference in these matters. It was also important to me that they understood that my actions on their behalf would combine two main factors, that I'd be a good Ambassador for their work as well as provide an accountable and completely transparent progression of funds raised.
Still with me ? Officially as of today, and with much pride, I have an official contract to act on behalf of SEF in Second Life and I couldn't feel more privileged to have earned their trust in this matter. In the next 24 hours I'll be releasing at PATRON the cutest Holiday Festive Topiary in the form of a baby Elephant (the design was pre-approved by SEF). When YOU buy it 100% proceeds will be going to "SaveElephantFoundation Resident" (driven by me for now) and as each Elephant is sponsored in totality I'll be making announcements via my Group and Subscribers.
If there is any question to whether I put my money where my mouth is, my son and I are sponsoring outright the first of the 35 her name is Mae Bua Loy.
b. ~1965) Her name means 'Floating Lotus' and she was rescued from the Surin province in 2008. Mae Bua Loy’s first job was in illegal logging. Her back right leg was broken during this time, and since she was unable to do heavy labor, she was used for street-begging. Sadly, she was used in a ‘breeding program’, and at one point was kept chained continuously for 3 months and forcibly mounted 29 times. She didn’t become pregnant, so her owner decided to get rid of her. At the park, she's found a best friend in Mae Boon Ma.
Okay so that just leaves 34.......
[Edited to add] The fundraising creation has now been released on the PATRON SIM. I'll use Flickr and any other opportunity to get the word out on the Grid. I'd appreciate you favourite this image, talk to your friends, get the word out there. Gift these Elephants when they are released, anything to assist in making this goal. If you're a blogger then please blog it,if we as a Community can pull together and get this viral in Second Life we can make an immediate and positive difference. Take a little pressure off those in the front lines caring for these magnificent creatures.
AND if you're like me and can't wait, then log in search "SaveElephantFoundation Resident" and just donate outright. No amount is too small, no amount is too large as a Community I have complete faith that we can do this. No need to even visit my SIM if you would just prefer to donate outright.
ขอบคุณ
Eliza
"Save Elephant Foundation is a Thai non–profit organization dedicated to providing care and assistance to Thailand’s captive elephant population through a multifaceted approach involving local community outreach, rescue and rehabilitation programs, and educational ecotourism operations."
PS. It's late, I'm tired, it's be a very long day. I ranted a bit because it's important to me for people to understand how this came about. I'm very bad at proof reading my own txt as Kamalin Bailey-Whitefalcon and Nigel Riel will attest to. You have the gist, I'll deal with revising this eventually. Sleepy time ......